I am Lisa, a pretty girl from China. Yes, China! I was found as a stray wandering around with my Poodle friend in Shanghai a couple months ago.

Last Wednesday I arrived in Minnesota. I was welcomed into a loving home by my foster mom and foster brother, Douglas, after a long journey from the other side of the world.

I settled in fairly quickly. It only took me a couple days to adjust, get over my jet leg, and set up a new routine. I have learned to go outside to do my business. (Well, a couple of incidents are always inevitable, but I am 95% trustworthy now and keep improving.)

I was also introduced to a big black wire box (Foster Mom said it is a crate) where I can sleep. I am not so sure about it, but I tolerated it well after a few days. Now I sleep through the whole night in it, although I prefer to sleep in her bed. I can do that for a nap during the day—yay!

I have found a perfect playmate! I started playing with my foster brother Douglas on day one, and we were all worn out by the end of the day. You can imagine how much fun we had. He is almost 6 years old, not as energetic as I am, but he kept up with me well.

We wrestle and play fetch. Yes, I am a Retriever. Foster Mom was surprised how fast I got the idea of retrieving a ball. She just asked Douglas to demonstrate it once, I got it, and fell in love with this game.

A lot of things happened in the past week: I had a bath and I had my nails trimmed (see how fluffy I am in the photo below!). I went to the vet’s office and met Dr. Peterson. I liked visiting the vet office because everyone there was so nice, and they gave me a lot of pats and treats.

Of course, they said I had an ear infection and coccidia. Yuck, I do not like worms, so I am taking medicine to get rid of them. I will have my fecal examined again next week. Paws crossed!

Last Wednesday a lot of people came to my house, knocked on the door, and looked for candy. I watched the door for two hours, greeted the kids, and they all fell in love with me. I think some of them were cute and some of them were scary.

Foster Mom said candy is no good for a pup, so she will not give us a piece to taste. But I found my own delicious candy bar—the cat poop. I still remember her face when she first saw me chewing it, and now I am banned from accessing the kitty's bathroom. Oh, silly human, she just does not know how delicious it is.

I enjoy riding in a car. I also enjoy walking with Douglas and my foster mom, and I am getting better with leash walking. I am easily distracted by the smells along the road, but I will get back on track as soon as she corrects me.

I do not react to other dogs; I think they are all my friends. I went to a doggie daycare last Saturday. Wow, so much fun! I made a lot of new friends. Foster Mom said she saw me running around on the video camera. I love that place! She promised me to send me and Douglas a few times a week. I am looking forward to going there again!

I am learning tricks and will let you know what I have learned next time my foster mom updates my page! Now it is nap time…